Margie

Originally an English diminutive of Margaret, tracing back through Latin to the Greek word for pearl. American parents began registering it as an independent legal name in the late nineteenth century, sidestepping the formal parent name altogether. By the nineteen-twenties, it was charting comfortably inside the national top one hundred on its own merits.

A Margie sounds like she was born when transistor radios were considered modern conveniences. The name brings to mind an era of handwritten holiday recipe cards and neighborhood carpools. Today, the average living Margie is seventy-three years old, meaning over half of them belong to the Baby Boom. Hearing it called in a kindergarten roll call remains an exceedingly rare event.